


then you come through like the sweetener you are (to bring the bitter taste to a halt)

by t_hens



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Bakery AU, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Strangers to Lovers, coffee shop AU, vegan dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 15:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18854041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_hens/pseuds/t_hens
Summary: Phil really wants to be annoyed at the new shop owner next to his bookstore. the problem? the owner is really cute.





	then you come through like the sweetener you are (to bring the bitter taste to a halt)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [animad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/animad/gifts).



> beta by [fourthingsandawizard](http://fourthingsandawizard.tumblr.com)
> 
> thank you to [Mandy](https://alittledizzy.tumblr.com/) for all your help on this!

Phil had been wary when they had started doing construction on the building next to him. The workers were loud and so were their tools; not exactly the ideal environment for the book store he owned. He had put in a lot of work into making a calm and peaceful setting for his customers - plush recliners, light wood floors, bright artwork, plants and cacti lined up on various shelves and counters - and here some jackass with a power drill was, ruining the atmosphere Phil had spent months cultivating.

He hadn’t done or said anything to the new owner about the crew or the noise. If Phil was anything, he was polite to a fault, and he didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with someone who would be his work-neighbor for the foreseeable future.

Thankfully, construction hadn’t lasted too long, and within a week a moving crew was parked outside the building, taking up all the parking for two days straight. Phil had grumbled and ground his teeth, but he still didn’t say anything, knowing it would all be over soon.

-

Phil had been going for a walk, trying to soak in as much of the warm spring air as he could before it disappeared again, when he stopped in front of his new work neighbor. The sign above the shop read “Cool Beans,” and Phil couldn’t help chuckling. At least the new owner had a sense of humor.

The bell let out a tiny ‘ _ding!_ as he entered. It was busy; there was a longer line than Phil had ever seen at his own business. He walked around the room, trying to get a feel for it. The new owner had definitely stayed with a theme: monochromatic. Everything was either black, white, or gray, but somehow it made the place seem bright and warm rather than dark and depressing like Phil would have thought. The giant bay windows helped, he thought, staring out them enviously. Maybe that was what the construction crew had been doing that had made all that racket. Phil only had a few small windows, so he had compensated by using bright, warm colors in his own store. 

The room was lined with gray marble-topped bakery cases, each topped with bouquets of different flowers, adding to the brightness of the room. Phil could hear an espresso machine working in the back and was reminded how badly he needed caffeine. Everything looked delicious, but it wasn’t until Phil started reading the little tags next to each item that he realized they were all vegan.

Bread, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, even tiny little marshmallows, all read in bold letters ‘ _I’m Vegan!_ ’ and most had tiny little drawings of the sweet next to them. It wasn’t posh like a lot of the shops Phil had seen in this area of town, but it was sweet and thoughtful, and Phil decided to buy something, even if that meant having to choke something vegan down.

He stood in the queue for a few minutes before he was at the counter, mentally trying to prepare what he would say in his head.

“Hi! Welcome to Cool Beans!” 

The cashier was enthusiastic and it made Phil shrink back a little, not used to dealing with such vibrant people. Most of his patrons were calm and introverted like him.

“Um. Hi,” he said timidly. “Uh, what would you recommend for a first timer?”

The cashier shrugged and gave him an apologetic smile. “I honestly don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to sample anything, but I can get Dan for you. He’d know.”

They turned and walked towards the espresso area, tapping a tall man with frizzy brown hair on the shoulder and pointing over to Phil. He was cute, and looked just as chipper as his cashier, and Phil could feel his whole face flush, desperately wishing he had just stayed at work.

“Hello, there. I’m Dan, I’m the owner.” 

He extended his left hand out to Phil, and he shook it after an awkward exchange of them both switching hands to accommodate the other. Dan let out a small giggle when they finally clasped hands, and Phil couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Phil. I own the bookstore next door.”

“Oh, that’s awesome! I’m happy to meet my new neighbor.” Dan’s eyes were roaming over Phil, and he wasn’t sure if it was a curious expression on his face or something else, but it had him flushing either way. “So, Devin said you had a question?”

“Oh! I just asked what was recommended. I’ve never had anything vegan.”

“The pistachio muffin,” Dan said with no hesitation. “It’s my favorite thing in the whole world.”

Phil couldn’t help but grin widely at how enthusiastic he had become over a muffin, and ordered two. 

“You guys have coffee, too?” he asked hopefully.

“Of course! Let's get you rung up and I’ll make that for you.”

Dan had Phil follow him to the side of the counter where the espresso machine could be seen from his side of the cases. He started turning knobs and moving so quickly, Phil was almost dizzy. The milk wand started, startling Phil, but Dan didn’t seem to blink. He moved with such ease and Phil had a hard time not staring, though he told himself it was just because he was impressed with Dan’s coffee making skills.

After a few seconds, the steamer ceased its noise and Dan poured and did a couple of other fancy things to the paper cup in his hand. He handed it to Phil with a wide grin on his face.

“Try it and tell me what you think!”

Phil took a hesitant sip, wary of the temperature of the milk, but once the caramel-y flavor hit his tongue, he almost wanted to moan in pleasure.

“Oh my god, this is amazing! What is it?”

“Caramel macchiato.” 

“It’s delicious.” Phil took another sip and returned his grin.

“Thank you.”

Phil paused for a second before leaving, trying to think of something to give him an excuse to stay. None came, and though Dan looked hopeful (maybe?) that Phil would say something, he couldn’t find the words, so he raised his cup in thanks and said goodbye.

-

A little while later, after he had finished helping the two older ladies who came in looking for gardening books, Phil sat at the counter and gently unwrapped the pistachio muffin from its wrapping. He took a bite tentatively because despite Dan’s insistence that it was good, Phil wasn’t exactly crazy about those tiny green nuts.

‘ _Dan was definitely right_ ,’ Phil thought, though, as he went in quickly for another bite. It was the best muffin he’d had in his life; sweet, but not cloyingly so. It was moist but light, and Phil finished it too quickly, gazing adoringly at the other muffin. He shook himself out of it, though, putting it in his bag before his little willpower snapped. 

-

He found himself in front of the cafe again the next morning, right as it opened. Even so, there were still about ten people milling around, checking out the items in the bakery cases. Dan was just visible behind the counter, wrapping pieces of some sort of bread in their wrappers.

Dan spotted Phil before he had a chance to decide if he wanted to approach the counter or hide, but he beckoned Phil forward, so he didn’t have much choice other than to march forward.

“You’re back!” There was a prominent part of Phil’s brain that hoped that Dan didn’t get as excited to see all of his customers as he was to see Phil.

“Yeah, those muffins were incredible!”

 

There would probably never be anything sweeter in the world than Dan’s beaming smile; his eyes crinkled in the corner and dimples carved deep into each side of his cheeks, and for a second, Phil couldn’t breath. 

No one had a right to be so pretty.

“Do you wanna try something else or do you want another? Everything is fresh.”

He pondered it for a second. The muffins _were_ good. He hadn’t even made it till the end of the day yesterday before he had gobbled down the second muffin, but in a moment of uncharacteristic bravery, he decided to branch out. His New Year's resolution for the year had been to try new things, and so far the most he had done was try caviar that one time. 

“Any other recommendations?”

Dan’s face became animated and he gestured wildly while telling Phil about all the items they had. He escorted Phil around the cases and told him about each item with the kind of reverence that reminded Phil idly of a parent showing off their children.

“I think I’ll take a chocolate chip cookie and one of the scones.”

Taking each item carefully out the case, he placed them in a bag for Phil, and when it was passed between them, their fingers brushed and Phil felt as if he’d been shocked. There was a spark that traveled from the tips of his fingers all the way down to his toes. He wondered if Dan felt it, too, as he drew in a quick breath and his eyes didn’t leave Phil’s.

There was a solid five seconds where neither of them moved, just stayed with the bag held between them, staring intently at each other. It wasn’t until a customer trying to look in the case cleared their throat that they finally broke apart. 

Dan was even cuter when his cheeks were flushed a rosy red color that matched the vase of flowers just to the left of his elbow. 

“So, coffee?” Dan asked, clearing his throat a bit.

Phil followed him to the espresso machine and watched him quickly craft the drink. They talked over the sound of the milk steaming even though it was a bit futile. He couldn’t help wanting to interact with Dan, though, even when it was mostly yelling about the lovely spring weather.

“Here you go!” Dan handed him his drink and that spark hit Phil again, though not lingering this time as the cup was too hot to hold longer than a few seconds.

The desire to keep talking, to linger a bit longer, was still there, but Phil couldn’t. It was well past 8am and hadn’t even opened the store yet, too preoccupied with getting coffee ( _seeing Dan_ his brain supplied). He settled for giving Dan a grin that he hoped conveyed how much he wanted to stay.

-

Phil’s drink and a bag of what he assumes are new treats to try were waiting for him the next morning when he came in. Dan had been nowhere to be seen, but once Phil thanked Devin and took the bag and coffee back into his shop, he opened it and saw a note waiting for him.

‘ _I had to go do Mother’s Day things with my mum today, but I hope you enjoy what I’ve picked out for you :)_.’

It was the most generous and sweet thing anyone had ever done for him and he wanted to cry a bit, but he didn’t since he was at work and he knew he’d get shit from his employees for crying over a tea cake and piece of banana bread.

-

The sun was shining as Phil walked to the florist a few blocks down that afternoon. With Mother’s Day approaching quickly, Phil realized that morning while reading Dan’s note that he hadn’t picked out anything to send to his mum. He was lucky she loved getting flowers so much, otherwise he’d probably be in trouble for picking out something so last minute.

When he opened the door, the scent of a variety of flowers hit him, making Phil feel like spring was actually happening around them, not just on the calendar.

“Phil! Have you killed all the succulents I sold you already?” Ben, the shop’s owner called out to him as he entered

“No!” he replied sullenly, making his way to the floral section. “I’m being a good son and picking out flowers.”

“Two days before Mother’s Day?” He laughed and Phil scowled, though he know Ben couldn’t see him.

He was comparing the benefits of pink lilies versus yellow ones when he felt someone bump into him. As he started to apologize, the words got stuck in his throat as he realized it was Dan doing the bumping.

“Fancy seeing you here.” Dan had an arm full of bouquets, all different varieties and colors mixed together in his arms.

“Mother’s Day shopping?”

“Yeah! How’d you know?” Phil asked, plucking the yellow bunch out of its bucket.

Dan cocked his head towards Ben’s direction and chuckled a bit. “Ben gave me the same shit when I came in this morning.”

Phil looked down at the flowers in his arms before glancing back up at Dan. “Are these for you mum, too? Or someone special?”

His pulse spiked at even the thought of Dan buying flowers for anyone. He’d only just met Dan, but he was becoming dangerously fond of the brunette.

“They’re for the shop. My Gran always grew flowers and had them all over her house, so it’s kind of an ode to her.”

“That’s so sweet,” Phil cooed. 

“Yeah,” Dan shrugged. “And I uh -,” he licked his lips quickly, “I don’t have anyone special right now.” His face was flushed and a tiny spot on his jaw had become as red as a bouquet of tulips in his arms.

“Me either.” It was the first thing that came to Phil’s mind, and normally he’d probably be cringing his face off, but Dan looked immensely pleased, his face pulling into a shy smile.

“Dan, we have those white daisies you were asking about.” Ben’s voice cut through the little bubble of _something_ that had been forming between the two of them.

Dan cleared his throat and smiled again before waving and heading towards Ben.

Phil stood a few more minutes in front of the lilies, heart beating erratically at the hope that maybe this could be more than a friendly neighbor-ship. 

-

The next morning when Phil walked over to the shop, he carried a brown-wrapped parcel in his hands and he hoped beyond hope that Dan was there today, as having to hand the gift over to one of his employees to give to Dan later would be wholly mortifying.

He’d stood in front of the worn brown shelves in his store for almost a solid hour that morning, trying to find the perfect book to give to Dan. Something that said ‘thank you and I like you’ without coming off stalkerish. It was a thin line to tread.

Dan wasn’t at the counter when Phil walked in, but as he approached the counter, ready to ask for Dan, Devin yelled that Dan has a guest before he could even open his mouth.

When he saw who the guest was, the grin on Dan’s face made Phil’s own mouth stretch wide into a matching smile. He had a little smearing of chocolate on his cheek, and Phil’s mind immediately supplied him licking that streak of sweetness off of his skin. Dan waved him over to a clear spot on the counter and placed his hands on the marble top, leaning forward.

“Good morning.”

“Morning. You’ve got some -,” he reached out to wipe away the chocolate before thinking better of it. He didn’t want to push any boundaries before he even knew what they were.

Dan touched his cheek, laughing when his finger came back covered in chocolate. He wiped the smudge off with the edge of his apron. “Thanks, I need to stop snacking while I work.”

“I would never be able to work in a place that had sweets, I have no self control.”

He chuckled. “I don’t either most days. But enough about me. I’ll start your coffee if you wanna start looking for a snack?”

“Oh, wait, here. I brought you something to say thanks for the drink and food yesterday.” 

He was torn between hoping Dan would open it then and waiting for Phil to leave, but he barely had time to blink before Dan was gently peeling back the wrapping and opening the package almost reverently. 

“Phil…” Dan said quietly, holding the book in his hands.

“This was my favorite collection we did in uni.”

Dan brought a hand over the cover slowly, as if his touch would break it. “You didn’t have to.” His words were calm, but his cheeks were a sweet pink, and that gave more away than the casualness of his tone.

Phil nodded. “I know that.” He didn’t go into why he did it, hoping that would be a little obvious. No one had ever taken the time or effort to do something so thoughtful for him ever, and he wanted Dan to feel even a smidge of what that meant to him.

A few seconds passed by and it felt like there was nothing left in the world but Dan, Phil, and the book of poems in Dan’s hands.

He cleared his throat before looking up, and Phil couldn’t be entirely sure, but there might have been a glisten of tears in his eyes.

“Let’s get you some coffee, yeah?”

-

Phil wasn’t entirely sure when his job became boring. There had never been a day since he opened his shop that he couldn’t find something to catch his attention. There was always work to do, or books to read, but today nothing felt like it was enough to keep his focus.

The bell rang throughout the store and Phil was slow to drag his eyes from the book he’d been trying to read for an hour.

“Hey there, stranger.”

Phil jerked his head up so fast he could feel a twinge of pain, but he didn't pay it much attention. Dan was standing in front of him, flour wiped all over the apron he was still wearing, and even a little on the tip of his nose.

“What?-” he started, but Dan lifted a little brown bag up the counter and sat it next to Phil’s elbow.

“I wanted to bring you some lunch. It’s just a couple of croissants.” He was blushing again, and God, Phil just wanted to cry, but also hug Dan. Maybe even press a kiss to those sweet dimples on his cheeks.

“Do you wanna stay and share them with me?” is what he asks instead of doing something drastic like his mind was begging him to.

Dan’s nod comes before Phil has even finished the sentence, and it makes butterflies burst in his tummy. 

“Wanna give me a tour first?”

-

After tracking down Sara, his clerk for today, he leads Dan all around the store. 

They walk along the lines of mismatched books cases, taking turns talking about their favorites. Phil was surprised they had so much reading in common, though he was surprised when anyone had done as much reading as he had. He’d been consuming books, for pleasure and by profession, for almost has long as he’d been alive.

They stop by the “Queer Author” section, and Dan tells Phil about the books he read when he was young that helped him out a lot, pointing to various novels and works of poems. He looks delighted when Phil tells him that most of the books in this section got him past his sexuality crisis in uni. It’s maybe a bit much to tell a virtual stranger, but Dan didn’t feel like a stranger. He felt like he was always meant to be in Phil’s life, it just took him awhile to get there.

-

After they’ve walked through the entire shop, Phil led Dan over to the comfy chairs pushed into the corner of the store. It was another rare spring day, so the sunshine streamed in through the windows and bathed their spot with warmth and light.

“God, Dan. These are incredible!” Phil mumbled, mouth full of food. His mother would murder him if she saw him acting in such a less than gentlemanly way, but he was eating probably the best pastry he’d ever had in his life and he just couldn’t be held accountable for his actions at that moment.

“Thank you.” Dan sounded so pleased and he was smiling all big and happy at Phil as he bit into his own croissant. 

Sitting there with Dan, with the sun beaming down on them, the soft sound of classical music tinkling over the shoddy shop speakers, the smell of books and the delicious food, Phil was sure there has never been a more perfect day.

“So, you said that book of poems was your favorite in uni. What did you study?”

“I started doing English Language and Linguistics, but I switched to Library Science and got a masters in it.”

“So you’re, like, proper smart and stuff, then?”

Phil laughed, unable to help himself. “I don’t know about that. I just liked school, didn’t wanna quit.”

“Have you ever worked in a library?” Dan took another bite of his food, eyes closing, lost in the exquisite flavor, and it took a second for Phil to realize he’d been asked a question.

“Uh, kinda?” he replied, a few seconds too late. “I did my interning in one and I realized I kinda hated all the politics that went into it. All I wanted to do was read books and recommend books, so I opened up a shop. Took a few years, but I did it.” He gestured around the shop, his metaphorical baby. “What made you decide to open a vegan shop?”

He shrugged. “My brother went vegan ages ago and always pestered me about trying it, and when I did, I found I really liked it. And I’ve always loved baking and stuff, so it just made sense. Plus coffee is, like, my life, so,” he shrugged again and brushed the crumbs off of his lap. “I just really miss cheese. Vegan cheese just isn’t there yet.”

Phil’s face contorted into a disgusted expression and he shuddered. “I hate cheese. I would have no problem giving that up.”

Dan looked so absolutely shocked and off guard, Phil took the opportunity to be brave and reach forward, pressing a finger into one of his dimples. 

“Those are cute.”

It hung in the air long enough that Phil thought he’d completely fucked up and that Dan would tell him to fuck off, but Dan just looked at his lap, cheeks flushed cherry read, and snuck a peek at Phil. “I think you’re really cute.”

It was Phil’s turn to splutter and blush, a protest on his lips when the door opened near them, both of them turning to see who had entered.

“Dan, there you are! The rolls aren’t rising and Carl said she didn’t know why and we’re having a crisis.” Poor Devin looked like they were nearing a breakdown, but Dan just nodded and said he’d be back in a just a second.

Phil had resigned himself to accepting that their time together would be cut short when Dan turned back to him, a determined expression on his face. He looked like he was steeling himself for something, but before Phil could ask, Dan was speaking:

“Do you wanna go out with me?”

“Yes.” Phil’s reply was instantaneous, not needing any time to think about it.

“Okay.” Dan looked so sweet and shy, and Phil couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and closed the gap between them, pressing a quick kiss to the rosy patch on Dan’s jaw.

-

Dan’s fingers were still touching the spot Phil’s lips had been as he exited the shop, plans for dinner and a movie set for the next night. Phil had never been more excited to eat vegan food in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find this fic on [tumblr](https://tobieallison.tumblr.com/post/185119570541/then-you-come-through-like-the-sweetener-you-are) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/ta_hens/status/1132094948021379072)


End file.
